Are You Taking Advantage of the Facebook Cover Image?

SUMMARY

The obvious thing most business owners miss on their Facebook business page (you do have one, right??) is the huge amount of prime real estate right at the top of the page – the cover image. If you're not making it work for you, then you're missing out.

The right size for the cover image is 820 by 312 pixels, although it’s better to use one in the same proportions but slightly larger (1200px x 650px). If you upload an image that’s not the right size, Facebook will stretch it to fit – usually with hideous results.

If you’re a Photoshop pro, great. If not, use Canva to create your cover image. There are tons of templates to choose from and they’re pre-set to the right size (be sure to choose the 'Facebook Cover' template). You can upload your own images or buy one of theirs for only $1. And if you’re completely at a loss, try posting a “gig” on Fiverr – you can get a good cover image designed for $10 or less.

Unlike on your personal account, your business page shouldn't have a pretty sunset or a photo of you and your friends. Instead, it needs to clearly represent your brand and business.

WHAT TO DO

Here are some guidelines for creating a great cover image for your business page -

• Take advantage of all the available real estate for your cover image.
• Add your company name to the image. You might also want to include your service area.
• Use a high-quality image that reflects who you are and what you do.
• Include the URL of your company’s website (it’s not clickable but it’s important to show it).
• Create a short tagline to explain what you’re about (this is your one shot to capture their attention).
• You can change out the cover image as often as you want so be prepared to change it to showcase a big event coming up, something you want to market, seasonal work/events (e.g., putting up holiday lights), awards, etc. Be creative and keep it interesting for your fans.